AFCO Shocks Spanner Nut Engagement??

OkieRocket · 05-05-2017, 10:30 PM

I purchased some new AFCO 3840F/BNC Shocks approx. 1 year ago and am just now finishing up the chassis, where I can actually set the car "on the ground." I have a concern about the amount of thread engagement between the Spanner Nut Thread and the Outer Threaded Body of the Shock and was wondering if anyone has ever ran into the situation I am experiencing, as described below...

The OD of the Shocks outer body (@ the max. OD of the Thread) is approx. 2.164". The ID of the AFCO 20131A Spanner Nut is 2.118"......That's only a 0.046" "contact area" on the threads of the Nut and the Shock Body!......i.e., only 0.023" per side!....seems way to light to me?? I have an older, "heavy" Ex-Super Stock Car @ 3,700 lbs. and I can't believe that only 0.023" contact on each side of the Spanner Nut will hold the weight of the Cars front end, especially with a "wheels up" launch....... Just don't want to damage an Oil Pan, Headers, etc., or have the Car "fall to the ground" and smash everything, if the "threads" on the Nut were to "strip off" due to a very minimal contact area.

I've got a call in to AFCO to see if I may have an incorrectly manufactured Set of Spanner Nuts or ???..... I could be "all wet" and wrong to be concerned...maybe this will end up being a non-issue?.....Just seems very odd to me and I don't want to risk the Car to find out on the track.

I would appreciate any thoughts from anyone running AFCO Shocks of this type and maybe already familiar with my situation.

Thanks in advance.

Harold

Dyno · 05-05-2017, 11:25 PM

If you are using the shock in a Stock/Super Stock application, you must use the "stock" front spring, so the spanners are not used. If you are using it as coilover front spring in some other class, they will work fine.

OkieRocket · 05-08-2017, 06:36 PM

FYI, in case this is of interest to anyone for future reference....

I spoke to AFCO today and they told me that the small contact area between the Spanner Nut Thread and the Shock Body Thread (i.e., @ ~0.023" per side is OK)....They said no need to worry...... So that's that!.... I'll run them as is.

Harold

05-05-2017, 10:30 PM	#1
OkieRocket Junior Member Join Date: Aug 2016 Posts: 43 Likes: 12 Liked 6 Times in 5 Posts	AFCO Shocks Spanner Nut Engagement?? I purchased some new AFCO 3840F/BNC Shocks approx. 1 year ago and am just now finishing up the chassis, where I can actually set the car "on the ground." I have a concern about the amount of *thread engagement* between the Spanner Nut Thread and the Outer Threaded Body of the Shock and was wondering if anyone has ever ran into the situation I am experiencing, as described below... The OD of the Shocks outer body (@ the max. OD of the Thread) is approx. 2.164". The ID of the AFCO 20131A Spanner Nut is 2.118"......That's only a 0.046" "contact area" on the threads of the Nut and the Shock Body!......i.e., only 0.023" per side!....seems way to light to me?? I have an older, "heavy" Ex-Super Stock Car @ 3,700 lbs. and I can't believe that only 0.023" contact on each side of the Spanner Nut will hold the weight of the Cars front end, especially with a "wheels up" launch....... Just don't want to damage an Oil Pan, Headers, etc., or have the Car "fall to the ground" and smash everything, if the "threads" on the Nut were to "strip off" due to a very minimal contact area. I've got a call in to AFCO to see if I may have an incorrectly manufactured Set of Spanner Nuts or ???..... I could be "all wet" and wrong to be concerned...maybe this will end up being a non-issue?.....Just seems very odd to me and I don't want to risk the Car to find out on the track. I would appreciate any thoughts from anyone running AFCO Shocks of this type and maybe already familiar with my situation. Thanks in advance. Harold

05-05-2017, 11:25 PM	#2
Dyno Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2002 Posts: 916 Likes: 1,139 Liked 685 Times in 204 Posts	Re: AFCO Shocks Spanner Nut Engagement?? If you are using the shock in a Stock/Super Stock application, you must use the "stock" front spring, so the spanners are not used. If you are using it as coilover front spring in some other class, they will work fine.

05-08-2017, 06:36 PM	#3
OkieRocket Junior Member Join Date: Aug 2016 Posts: 43 Likes: 12 Liked 6 Times in 5 Posts	Re: AFCO Shocks Spanner Nut Engagement?? FYI, in case this is of interest to anyone for future reference.... I spoke to AFCO today and they told me that the small contact area between the Spanner Nut Thread and the Shock Body Thread (i.e., @ ~0.023" per side is OK)....They said no need to worry...... So that's that!.... I'll run them as is. Harold